Ford broaches the e-crate fray with F-100 Eluminator concept

[Hagerty]

Ford is charging headlong into the silent, torque-rich arena of electric crate motors. Meet the F-100 Eluminator concept, an electrified take on a classic 1978 F-100 pickup with Mustang Mach-E GT Performance running gear stuffed under its workmanlike body and frame.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/ford-broaches-the-e-crate-fray-with-f-100-eluminator-concept/

[Germanicus]

I know this is a SEMA build so quick and dirty is the name of the game, but man is that Mach-E interior a bummer here.

[Johanphilip]

I am impressed with the exterior of this F-100 Eluminator

[Oldroad1]

Retro slotcars. No weekend tinkering. Risk of electrocution will kill your weekend plans.

[Reinhold_Weege]

FoMoCo can shove anything it does, from this point forward, up Bill Ford's brain-slot.

[DT]

I doubt it Bill cares very much about your opinion 🙂

[Mike_B]

He will if enough people hit him in the wallet 😉

[NHO]

It's bad enough they are going electric in new vehicles but in old classic ones? Not my cup-a-tea.

[DT]

I doubt they care.

[BossGreg]

All that but still cranks on the doors

[Gary_Bechtold]

Eluminator? What a dumb name. Eliminator is better.

[Tim]

ZZ Top owns Eliminator. If not by trademark, by mindset. 😄

[Oldroad1]

No Mercury owns the Eliminator (Couger).

[Mike_B]

I think the failure was putting it in an old truck instead of an old Cougar.
A blah-gray electric pickup? Meh.
A competition blue (aka grabber blue) electric Cougar Eliminator? Hell yes!

[Daniel]

NO!

[OHCOddball]

Absolutely hate the trend of cars, both electric and otherwise, having these huge tablets pasted to the instrument panel. $3900? I assume that is just for the motor and not the electronics and batteries. Tesla wants something like $20,000+ for replacement battery. So this truck conversion with a new frame, batteries, electronics and motors will be $100,000+. It would be like buying a Rivian truck, taking the body off and having a custom car builder drop a Ford F-100 cab and box on it.

[DAY]

My thoughts exactly. That 3900 could in NO WAY cover the cost of batteries and electronics! They make it sound like 4 grand will cover the entire cost of a 'simple' motor swap! They can keep their short distance driving electric crap!

[MuirWoods]

This is going to propel a renaissance in customs and coachbuilding. There's just so many cool looking old cars out there that are impossible to get parts for, or frankly speaking, aren't that great to drive even when they run right. I'm thinking Hudsons, and Packards, and all sorts of strange Europeans that will come back to live with electric drivetrains, including actual brakes, and new paint and interiors.

The Low Riders are going to take this over the moon. Personally, I'm thinking of an electric Rat Rod, or maybe a Salt Flat Streamliner. How about a street legal 50's Indy Roadster?

[Tim]

You have a very good point. Why do so many older restorations end up as garage queens? Yes, some are afraid to damage their pristine work, but I suspect you are correct that when all the work is done and the car is taken on a ride, it ends up being a disappointment and simply isn't fun to drive. They become destined for parade duty and are showpieces rather than go-pieces. Not all vehicles, of course, but a lot. That's why they always show up at auction with so few miles after restoration, regardless of how long it's been since the restoration.

[TA76]

You are wrong. It is because they have so much money in them that can't afford or won't afford the cost of insurance to drive them more than a few thousand miles a year. And to that the cost to maintain them. When was the last time you found shop that could do a carb? An electric motor won't change handling or braking. handling with it being not designed for the vehicle mare make it worse. Don't forget the cost it will double the price tag.

[DT]

You are on Hagerty's website. Don't you realize insurance for a Classic is usually cheaper than Ins. for a new car. They realize Classics don't get driven nearly as much as daily drivers ??

[MATTMERICA]

Most of the guys that I know that do full restorations are:
1 - not driving their vehicles because they are too busy
2 - they are busy b/c they are making a killing on selling these resto mods for more of a mark up than 1980s cocaine
3 - More miles means a lower value when they sell it, which is the business model

[erne75]

Why???

[DT]

Because they can. I imagine the same question was asked 100 years ago when cars started replacing horses. Why Not ???

[DAY]

HAHAHAHA. Not even close.

[TG]

Unfortunately folks have stamped that label on pretty much anything not powered by a SBC, which has led to the litany of LS swaps and irreparably butchered classic cars. Now we are going to butcher even more with EV drivetrains. I really wish people who didn't like old cars would just leave them alone

[DT]

What makes you think that the people who want to make the change to Electric don't like old cars? Their car to modify as they like.

[TG]

May be you like old body styles... but when the heart and soul of the car gets tossed in the scrap pile it's hard to make the argument that you like old cars

[DAY]

Hope you don't think 4 grand will cover all the costs of batteries and electronics, and reworking the dash and someplace to put the batteries! Unless you have a hundred grand to blow, it won't be for the common man.

[Rayzsurfer]

I think one of those motors would fit aptly in a Yugo!

[DAY]

No room for the batteries.

[TimK]

Shocking!
I know you can't stop technology but who want's it, I don't. Everyday mundane drivers are one thing and I don't want one but electrifying vehicles classic vehicles is almost sacrilegious. It definitely takes the fun out.

[TimK]

Shocking!
I know you can't stop technology but who want's it, I don't. Everyday mundane drivers are one thing and I don't want one but electrifying vehicles classic vehicles is almost sacrilegious. It definitely takes the fun out. I just wonder if the package includes the stupid button that starts a recording of real engine sounds I read the Mustang-E includes.

[Cobra5oh]

Not interested in batteries in a hotrod. Just help the wife with the garden if that’s what it comes to. Don’t care if it’s fast. The experience of driving electrics is like sitting on my couch.

[CT-car-guy]

Have you actually driven one? I hear the toque off the line is amazing.

[Hymie60]

But boring! Part of hard acceleration is the sounds.

[gpsuya]

Sorry, but pulling the engine & tranny replacing it with some generic electric motor removes all the vehicles character. Oh sure, they're fast, but after the original thrill, I'd get about as much satisfaction as throwing the switch on my bench grinder.

[proto]

Good joke.

[spark123]

The giant tablet slapped on the dash looks HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!

Why ruin a perfectly good truck?????

[gary21sn]

Blasphemy!

[Wrongarm]

What a load of crap! Bad enough they are trying to force us into this crap for our every-day driver, but now pushing into the classic arena.

[aircor]

You could drop one or two in my 84 F150, short box. Always looking for more speed. Fords' expense. LMAO.

[JohninNC]

I think it's pretty cool. Keeping old cars on the road one way or another is the name of the game I'd say.

[Hymie60]

Watch the video of the Project X Chevrolet at the SEMA, sounds like a wind up toy driving by. Actually laughable 😂

[JohninNC]

Plenty of mega fast all electrics- drive a Tesla and see for yourself. A classic swapped onto an salvaged electric chassis would seem like a fun ride to me.

[JohninNC]

Let me elaborate, JohninNC is me above. My Model-A is not safe on anything but side roads really. What if in a few years I found a 'skateboard' platform from a totaled car with pan/ undercarriage/ steering/ brakes/ suspension/ and a stout full electric drivetrain ready to go? I figure a way to mount my Model-A and make it work, that would be awesome! Some of these electrics are super fast, an electric body swapped Model-A would seem like an awesome ride.

[hyperv6]

Here is the deal. Retro fitting a older vehicle with an EV drive line is not really a good idea at this point and time.

The trouble is most good electric cars are designed from the start to be electric and they cram ever bit of battery in the vehicle and most are now on platforms designed to be an EV model. This leads to a vehicle that is much better in all areas including range.

GM has done two of these. One was a Blazer that the floor of the bed was all battery. Now Project X that all they will say is it has enough range to cruise around. Neither will be on the Hot Rod Power tour with their shot ranges.

Also the key to these old vehicles is that they are gas powered. We will have enough EV performance coming that is well sorted vs putting up with half sorted conversions.

It is kind of like the Ford Lighting where they pretty much just converted a F150 to an EV vehicle. While GM will introduce a whole new Silverado E with a fully EV platform that will hold a longer range and much better EV performance as a whole with 4 wheel steering and a stiffer platform.

Might note Ford is hard at work on a platform EV truck too but since they were behind they rushed the lighting out as to not be lost when the Chevy appears at the CES show this coming year.

Note their will be performance items for EV models as time comes along. Things will be needed to improve handling and traction. Also wheels and programing. Look for over dive units or even a two speed gear box to extend ranges.

Already their are decals to put a grill or styling on a Tesla soulless nose.

[DT]

Here's The Deal. Isn't half the fun of any project sorting out the problems. Should all the old timers who started modifying Model T's and Model A's have not done it ??? Catch up with the times and enjoy it or be left behind.

[Oldroad1]

I'm certain the EVs will become more common place as will the wrongful death suits for accidental electrocution.

[hyperv6]

There will be fires and deaths as this is a less forgiving form than a hot and heavy engine. 

God know we have people now that should not be turning wrenches. 

This tech you need to know what you are doing. I have already seen what training fire and safety crews need to know. 

It could thin the heard though. Lol!